Search in:

Marsh reveals Australia lost their way after cool-it order

Jamie Pandaram

The aggro is back . . . a harder-edged approach has been credited for Australia's Perth win. Photo: Getty Images

EXCLUSIVE

RIVAL teams have exploited an Australian side scared to sledge for fear of a backlash from Cricket Australia and the public following the bitter Sydney Test against India in 2008, the players' union said.

Following Stuart Clark's column in yesterday's Herald - in which he wrote of the Australian team's identity crisis since the spiteful SCG encounter - Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive Paul Marsh admitted the performance of the side has suffered since players were told to tone down their aggression in the immediate aftermath of that match. A rediscovered aggression was on display in Perth last week and Australia produced one of their finest performances in years.

''I think there's no doubt the team's performance has been affected,'' Marsh told the Herald last night. ''Hard, aggressive cricket is in the Australian team's DNA and unfortunately the players started second-guessing their natural instincts in the heat of battle for fear of reprisal from CA or a public backlash from the vocal minority.

''I know for a fact that many of the opposition teams were seeking to exploit what they now saw as a weakness in the Australian team.''

Advertisement

Australia claimed a dramatic final-day victory against India at the SCG in 2008, but the result was quickly forgotten as a racism storm saw India threaten to boycott the remainder of the tour. Harbhajan Singh was charged after the Australian team accused him of calling Andrew Symonds a ''monkey'', however that was later downgraded to the lesser charge of verbal abuse.

The demonstrative on-field behaviour of the Australians, as much as the racism row involving Harbhajan, provoked outrage among Indian supporters and debate in the media. Marsh said a subsequent meeting of CA and the players resulted in a major change in the Australians' on-field attitude and this had been a major factor behind some of their more timid performances.

''After the Indian Test in Sydney, CA called a meeting of all players, CA senior management, some board directors and myself to discuss the way the Australian team was playing the game and being perceived by the public,'' Marsh said.

''There was a directive given by CA that the team needed to change its on-field behaviour. At the time many of the players disagreed with this directive. However they took the feedback they were receiving on board and there was an immediate noticeable change in the way the team played the game.

''Unfortunately the Australian cricket team was a victim of its own success. They were winning everything there was to win and all of a sudden this success wasn't enough for some people. The team had to not only win but win in a manner that was different from how the Australian cricket team had played over several decades. In my view it was a classic tall poppy syndrome story and I said so at the time.''

Australia's victory at the SCG in 2008 equalled a world record 16th consecutive win. They since have a record of 17 wins, 12 losses and eight draws. Against India they have recorded five losses and three draws from eight games, and 12 of their 17 wins have come against lowly nations New Zealand, West Indies and Pakistan.

What must be noted is that the cultural differences and misunderstandings between eastern and western cricketing nations makes sledging a delicate issue; had Australia attacked India as aggressively as they did England in Perth, the consequences would be different.

CA spokesman Peter Young said: ''After Sydney there was significant public backlash which surprised Cricket Australia and surprised the players, and I think it's fair to say that we went through a period of introspection. But the public has consistently told us since then, through three years of research, that they are totally comfortable with on-field aggression as long as it is hard but fair cricket.

''The public has told us for the last three years since Sydney that they understand that the elite playing field, Test cricket, is no place for the faint-hearted. But what the public doesn't like is on-field behaviour which descends into personal vilification, certainly racial vilification, and sharp practice [cheating].

''What the public saw in Perth, from my understanding of the public mood, was completely acceptable.''

Marsh added: ''Recently our team has, for the first time in many years, been losing. The majority of the public want us to win, and win in an aggressive, typically Australian manner. I didn't see much wrong with the behaviour of the team during that Indian series, and I certainly don't now, but I do see a lot of irony in how some in the public and media react to the behaviour of the team depending on whether we are winning or losing.''

Australian coach Tim Nielsen said the toning down of aggression followed the backlash but also a changing of the guard. ''When you are a young guy that has just come into the team you are not going to start sledging opposition players immediately. They have to build up a bit of confidence in their game and their place in the side.''

68 comments so far

So let me get this right - International cricketers can't win a match unless they are being rude?Pretty sad.

Commenter

David @ Wahroonga

Date and time

December 22, 2010, 6:27AM

Is there a committee of former players and commentators somewhere that is required to produce excuses for an Australian loss that gives no credit to the opposition? The blaming of India for Australia's run of poor performances is pretty creative even by recent standards.

Commenter

Sid

Date and time

December 22, 2010, 6:31AM

What a croc!!!

Sledging is as key to winning matches as Stuart Clarke is. Let us get the fact straight. We have had some of the "greats" from mid-90s to mid-00s. Warney, McGrath, Waugh, Gillie, Hayden, Symonds.

We have lost almost all of them to retirement. Now we are left with a team that are at the same level with the rest of the world. Sledging or not, this team is very beatable.

I doubt by encouraging Sledging at lower levels of Cricket we will product better players.

Commenter

sfx

Date and time

December 22, 2010, 6:32AM

You have to win by playing good cricket not by using words and mouthing people off- do it with your skills and talent and not your tongue

Commenter

Marram

Location

Maroubra

Date and time

December 22, 2010, 6:38AM

Cricket Australia should hang it's head in shame at the handling of the racial vilification of Andrew Symonds. The greatest player in the world at the time was sacrificed to appease the dysfunctional Indians. How many times has a team from the continent threatened to leave the field or the country after they have lost a match? Let them go, fine them and make sure they understand the rules of the game. "Sharp practice"??? Why not just use the word cheat instead of weasel words?

Commenter

David

Location

Callala Bay

Date and time

December 22, 2010, 6:41AM

CA wilted under pressure from the Indians. They also abandoned Andrew Symonds when they should have gone after Harbajhan. Inexcusable.

Commenter

fair dinkum

Date and time

December 22, 2010, 6:44AM

You miss the point again...A large part of the Australian cricket fan base would rather not be winning if winning meant we were represented by neanderthals who carried on like pork chops...I'd take honourable, sportsmanlike defeat every time.

Commenter

DJ

Location

Cairns

Date and time

December 22, 2010, 6:47AM

There is no doubt that sporting success relies on mental attitude as well as skill, and this includes aggressiveness; however, aggressiveness should be expressed in the way one plays the game, not in what one says. There is no reason one cannot be aggressive and gentlemanly at the same time. I thoroughly disagree with Mr. Marsh's assessment.

Commenter

bobuc

Location

Bundanoon

Date and time

December 22, 2010, 7:06AM

I have said for years that this is why Australian cricket is in the slump - they were still trying to find a way to play cricket after the over reaction to that test.

Since then, the 'whingers' of the day India, have gone on to become No 1 test cricketing nation in the world - by using the Australian method!! Players like Zaheer Khan, Harbijian Singh, Gambir, that slogger Sewag.. they all whinge about the 'Aussie' way, then go straight out and do it themselves. Double standards.

Commenter

Red.dawg

Location

Belco

Date and time

December 22, 2010, 7:22AM

AND - HOW WAS AUSTRALIA CHEATING??? Did they appeal for something that was shown to be not out?? Well... blow me down, Indians, English, Saffies, Kiwis - they don't appeal for something that isn't out?? RUBBISH!